Hungary has blocked the allocation of €6.5 billion to Ukraine and prevented the EU from imposing sanctions on Patriarch Kirill.
Hungary has blocked the inclusion of Russian Patriarch Kirill, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, and other Russian political figures in the 15th package of EU sanctions. Additionally, Budapest has once again obstructed the allocation of over 6 billion euros from the Peace Fund for weapons to Kyiv. Instead, Hungary sought to establish a "Christmas truce" on the front lines in Ukraine, but this idea did not receive support within the European Union.
This was stated by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. He claimed that if Patriarch Kirill were to be sanctioned, there would be no hope for peace.
"I believe that we must definitely avoid sanctioning church leaders and church figures, because if we cannot communicate with each other on a church level, the last hope for peace will be lost," he said.
Szijjártó also noted that the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Nebenzya, was supposed to be included on the list. In his view, this is "strange," as "the UN is the last refuge where political consultations can take place." According to the minister, the EU also planned to impose sanctions against the Russian Olympic Committee and two football teams.
"It was important for us, and since we managed to filter out crazy ideas from this sanctions package, we still did not veto it," Szijjártó said.
Peter Szijjártó also announced that he blocked the allocation of 6.5 billion euros in financial assistance from the European Peace Fund for military needs in Ukraine. He shared this "achievement" on Facebook.
"Today (December 16 - ed.) I vetoed the allocation of 6.5 billion euros from the European Peace Fund for the payment of arms supplies to Ukraine," Szijjártó stated following a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister explained that Budapest, in addition to blocking financial assistance for military needs, opposed sending military advisers from Europe to Ukraine. Furthermore, Peter Szijjártó stated that Hungary would not support the deployment of coordination units to Ukraine as part of the EU mission to train Ukrainian military personnel. The Hungarian politician considers the sending of troops from Europe to Ukraine for any purpose to be threatening, as it could lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Szijjártó added that the foreign ministers of EU countries did not support Budapest's proposal for a "Christmas truce" for Ukraine and Russia at their meeting in Brussels, including Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. Only the representative from Slovakia did so. According to the Hungarian diplomat, the EU "ignores" the situation on the battlefield, and the majority continues to "push the previous strategy."
"They don't care that Christmas is approaching... If there are no battles, there is no Russian advance," Peter Szijjártó explained Hungary's proposal.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has already responded to Hungary's statements about the truce. They urged Budapest to stop making claims about its ability to halt the war, which do not correspond to reality, and to refrain from unilateral contacts with Russia.
"We call on the Hungarian side to stop the immoral manipulations regarding peace and the Christmas of Christ, to refrain from unilateral contacts with the aggressor state that undermine joint efforts to restore a just peace. The only obstacle to peace is Russia and its war-obsessed dictator. Ukraine desires peace on its territory more than anyone else in the world," the statement reads.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the actions of the Hungarian side are even further from peacemaking than its statements. Hungary consistently calls for leaving Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression, without weapons for self-defense, hinders the funding of Ukraine's defense capabilities, increases sanctions pressure against Russia, and other critically important decisions.
"The joint efforts of our state and its partners are aimed at achieving a just and sustainable peace. Ukraine always adheres to the principles of honest dialogue and mutual respect. We will continue constructive contacts with our partners who sincerely seek an end to the war, not Ukraine's defeat," the Foreign Ministry stated.
Hungary Against Supporting Ukraine
Earlier, in November, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hinted at the need to deprive Ukraine of the already agreed 50 billion euro loan. The loan, which was approved by the European Union and the G7 countries, has now supposedly become an "open question," he believes, as it was approved before Donald Trump's victory in the US.
It is worth noting that Hungary has actively sabotaged the provision of this loan to Ukraine. In October, Budapest even announced the postponement of a final decision regarding the 50 billion dollar loan for Ukraine until after the presidential elections in the US.